What if there hadn’t been a Mozart? Although this is an intriguing question for classical music lovers to debate and scholars to ponder, the fact is we’d be paying far more serious–and deserved–attention to Haydn, and beyond that we’d be stuck with the mediocre, very much of-its-time work of composers such as Antonio Salieri. Given all the discussion, much of it sheer nonsense, regarding the Mozart/Salieri rivalry, just a brief listen to any of these 12 overtures tells you what you already know: the monster talent/genius of Mozart had not a whit to fear from the competent Italian technician who was most widely respected for his pedagogical skills (Beethoven, Czerny, Schubert). Of course, the reality of the time and place dictated certain conditions of privilege and position, conferred by circumstances more political than artistically meritorious. Salieri undoubtedly was highly regarded and enjoyed a prominent position in Viennese musical circles, and he was talented, especially in the creation of a certain style of opera that audiences of the time literally ate up. Indeed, in the works on this program Salieri shows a certain dramatic flair, as in the opening of La Grotta di Trofonio–but with a few strokes of the pen, à la Don Giovanni, Mozart wiped out Salieri’s best efforts in this genre. This takes nothing away from the very steady and polished musicians of the Slovak Radio Symphony, nor from Michael Dittrich’s committed direction. Together they make the most of the music’s considerable rhythmic energy, pleasant melodies, and frequent mood shifts typical of the style. The sound is very clean and clear but edgy in the treble.
Salieri’s most successful entry as a stand-alone concert piece is the last track on the disc, the overture to L’Angiolina, which although light in weight, has the requisite tunes, engaging rhythms, and musical variety to keep us interested. But throughout you can’t help but feel the encroaching shadow of The Marriage of Figaro and you just shake your head and say you’re glad there was a Mozart.
